Match manufacturing



Patented Feb. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MATCH MANUFACTURING Michail G. Pelipetz, New York. N. Y., assignor of one-half to Peter L. Doodchenko, New York,

3 Claims. (Cl. 522 5) This case is a substitute for abandoned application 585,242 filed January 7, 1932.

My invention relates to match manufacturing and has particular reference to the manufacture 5 of striking composition for match containers.

The match boxes or books for the .use with safety matches are usually provided with a coating of striking composition containing phosphorus and some friction or abrasive material. This material is prepared as paste with glue and water and is applied in a semi-liquid form.

All these compositions have a serious disadvantage that they are aifected by water and moisture which softens the glue base and renders impossible to generate sufiicient friction for igniting the matches. Another disadvantage of these compositions is that they require special drying process during the manufacture of boxes and books, causing additional expense for fuel. Vapors and fumes generated during this drying process are injurious to the health of workmen and require additional and expensive ventilating system.

In order to eliminate these objections I provide a composition with substances insoluble in water which are liquefied by melting them in a special container and applied to the paper of the boxes and books while still hot. The striking powder is sprayed over the coating while the latter is still soft.

For this purpose I use a binder representing a mixture of several ingredients having different viscosities and melting points, thereby controlling the desired final viscosity of the melted mixture and its melting temperature. I have found that good results are obtained with a mixture of resinous substances which can be melted at a sufficiently low temperature and which become solidified and hard at the room temperature.

By combining resinous, tarry and similar substances in various proportions in accordance with their individual properties, I obtain a composition with the following requisite properties:

1. Melting temperature of about 80 or 90 C., or just below the boiling point of water. Such a temperature prevents the excessive drying of paper during the process of formation of the striking layer and, at the same time, it is sufliciently high so that the coating remains hard at all ordinary temperatures.

2. The composition must be sufficiently hard at ordinary temperatures in order to retain firmly in the striking powder.

3. The composition must be sufficiently elastic so as not to break when the paper is slightly bent.

4. The composition must be insoluble in water so as to render the striking coating waterproof, the striking powder being also unaffected by water. I 5. The composition must have suflicient viscosity when melted in order to flow freely over the paper and to penetrate it to a certain extent in order to adhere firmly to the surface of the paper. This viscosity must correspond to the degree of porosity of the paper, lower viscosity being required for harder grades of paper. 10

I have found that rosin obtained by distillation of the raw turpentine or pitch represents the most suitable basic material or ingredient for my composition. In order to increase its hardness I add a small quantity of shellac. 15

The melting point of rosin and shellac being somewhat too high, I lower it by adding raw turpentine or turpentine pitch.

I have found that asphalt and similar tarry substances, pitch etc., can be added to rosin, in- 20 creasing its hardness at ordinary temperatures.

The above materials form a first group of ingredients, characterized by the higher melting point and hardness at ordinary temperatures, with sufllcient viscosity when melted. They are 25 somewhat brittle, however, when cold, and to increase the elasticity of the composition at ordinary temperatures I add ingredients of the second group which also tend to lower the melting 30 temperature. This group includes such materials as waxes, parafiin, stearin, turpentine oil, and similar substances.

In general, I use a mixture of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives, in- 35 soluble in water, with melting temperature not over 150 C., the melting point of the composition being preferably about or C. Materials of the second group may be even liquid at ordinary temperatures, for instance, turpentine 40 oil. Materials of the first group must be in colloidal form. A

The following example represents a composition with melting point of about 90 C. and is otherwise suitable for paper of ordinary density. 45

Example I Per cent by weight Rosin 50 Turpentine pitch 3 'Shellac 1 Paraffin 1 Parafiin may be replaced by stearin, wax or similar material. 55

Gutta percha can be also added to the composition, increasing its viscosity, as per Example II.

Example II Per cent by weight Rosin 85 Gutta percha I Shellac 3 Paraifin 1 Wax I Gutta percha lowers the melting point so that a larger amount of shellac may be added. Its greater hardness and brittleness require addition of a larger percentage of parafiin and wax. Paraffin or stearin alone should not be added in a large quantity as these substances render the composition oily and less adherent to thepaper.

These composition retain viscosity until fully hardened. The striking powder must be sprayed over the composition on the paper at a somewhat reduced temperature, when, the composition begins to thicken but'still retains its adhesive properties to catch and hold the powder. Usually a drop of from 10' to 30 C. is required for this purpose, so that if a temperature of 90 C. is maintained in the melting pot, then a temperature of. about 60 to 70 C. must be maintained at the drum.

My method has important advantages over ordinary methods using water soluble glue, as follows:

1. My striking coating on match containers is fully waterproof.

2. The smallest possible amount of striking powder is used, as it is applied to the surface of the coating only, and all the excess powder is collected and used over again.

With water soluble compositions the striking powder is mixed with glue and gradually settles down during the process. The mixture therefore becomes poorerand poorer in certain ingredients which settle more rapidly, necessitating frequent discarding of such residue.

3. With water solutions large and expensive driers are required, which consume a large amount of heat. This heat is largely wasted through radiation and ventilation.

4. Expensive ventilating system is required with water solutions, which is not needed with my system.

The absence of noxious vapors in my process tends to render it more hygienic.

6. Paper in the wet process becomes stretched and weakened, and often breaks causing expensive stoppages in the process. With my process the paper is dryand it retains its strength during the process.

7. With my process the paper comes out from the machine ready for use, and the process is shortened very considerably.

8. A much smaller fioor space is required for my process.

9. All danger is largely eliminated with my process, as hoxesor books containing matches are not required toehe placed; in driers at an. increased temperature.

l I claim as my invention:

1.. A striking composition for match boxes, con- .sisting of from 85% to 95% of rosin by weight, from 1% to 3% of shellac, from 1% to 2% of 'paraifinand. wax, and from 3% to of. resin ous materi zl-taken'from a group'consisting of turpentinanpitch, and. gutta percha, said ingredients forming a binder, and a greund. abrasive material imbeddedin said binder.

2.. Axstrikingr composition for match containers, consisting of rosin. with small addition of shellac, paraffin. and wax, mixed at the-surface with a ground. abrasive material;

3-. Astriking'composition for match containers, consisting of resinous and tarry substances with a small addition of shellac, parafiin and wax, mixed a: ground abrasive material.

MICHAIL G; PELIPETZ. 

